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JBSA News
NEWS | March 1, 2010

CPS presents Randolph with $67,500 credit for efficiency effort

By Robert Goetz 502nd Air Base Wing OL-B Public Affairs

Randolph's utility bill will be about 20 percent lower than usual this month thanks to some energy-saving equipment at the new base exchange.

Last week, a representative of San Antonio's CPS Energy presented a Randolph contingent led by Col. Alan Lake, 902nd Mission Support Group commander, with a $67,500 check representing a credit that will be applied to the base's next utility bill.

CPS Energy provided Randolph with the rebate for the installation of two energy-efficient 250-ton chillers at the BX - equipment that will save money each month while helping to reduce the utility company's load.

"I'm ecstatic about getting a credit," said Anthony Martinez, 902nd Civil Engineer Squadron energy program manager. "It shows that CPS cares about what we're doing and it shows we care about reducing our energy consumption. We're doing the right thing and getting money back for doing the right thing."

The two chillers at the BX are part of a program to improve air-conditioning efficiency since HVAC - heating, ventilating and air-conditioning - systems account for more than half of Randolph's energy usage.

"Anytime we can reduce the cost of HVAC, we reduce our utility bill significantly," Mr. Martinez said.

Colonel Lake said the credit reflects Randolph and the 902nd MSG's commitment to energy conservation and the reduction of its utility costs relative to executing our mission."

"By making improvements in energy efficiency, we meet the AFSO21 principle of institutionalizing continuous process improvement by enhancing our efficiency without negatively impacting mission readiness," he said. "This rebate is a secondary benefit of our investments with the primary benefit being a reduction of our monthly and annual utility bill."

A key component in the program to improve HVAC efficiency is a four-and-a-half-mile chilled-water loop under construction that will allow many buildings in the commercial sector to share chilled water kept in thermal energy storage units near three chiller locations on base. Those buildings will no longer require individual chillers, which will result in less maintenance and no unit replacement costs.

Mr. Martinez estimated the loop will reduce energy consumption by 10 to 15 percent once it is complete.

Buildings that are not part of the loop will retain individual chillers, which is why plans also call for the replacement of 10 older chillers with more efficient models, possibly early next year, he said.

Mr. Martinez said Randolph received one prior CPS Energy rebate - $5,500 for a $27,000 project to replace metal halide bulbs in Hangars 75 and 76 with fluorescent lights - and he anticipates more credits as a result of the chilled-water loop and further chiller replacement.

"We're already talking with CPS about these other projects," he said.

CPS Energy provides both residential and commercial customers with rebates because using more efficient equipment "helps them reduce demand throughout the city," Mr. Martinez said.

"It helps businesses make the right decisions," he said. "We want to take advantage of it as much as we can."

Colonel Lake said Randolph and the 902nd MSG have invested more than $8 million to reduce energy consumption and dependence on fossil fuels and "will continue to seek out and implement energy-efficient technologies and applications." He said reducing utility bills aids the Air Force mission.

"For every dollar saved on utilities it means those limited resources can be reinvested corporately to fund other Air Force priorities," Colonel Lake said.